07/31/2013

We're at a weird point in this "culture war." We have the mainstream anti-LGBT movement, stewarded by groups like the National Organization for Marriage and the Family Research Council, that is losing in the political, judicial, and public opinion realms. Their messaging is broken and bleeding efficacy, even with conservative voters. They're in the political wilderness.

Normally, this would lead a political movement to turn to the most committed advocates for their cause. Only thing? In this anti-LGBT "culture war," the most committed members are also the least pragmatic. You have a whole wing on that side (Peter LaBarbera, Scott Lively, Matt Barber, Linda Harvey, Janet Folger, Bryan Fischer, etc.) that helps the pro-equality cause every time it takes a stand. Even the more hostile "mainstream" groups like FRC—and let's be clear: FRC is quitehostile; they just earn cover from a powerful D.C. machine, a far too subservient media, etc.) know they have to be careful when pushing these voices, lest they too fully show their cards and turn off the more mainstream politicos who they want to court and the access within mainstream, conservative circles that they so desperately want to maintain.

So what does these, the most committed voices on the other side, do to get their voices out there? Well, increasingly in this anyone-can-be-a-pundit world of ours, they do things like make half-hour "news" programs that attack LGBT people and our rights in truly extreme ways, then post them to YouTube:

Of course anyone outside of that shrinking team of anti-LGBT aggressive recognize this video as ridiculous. It's a joke. It almost looks like parody. Even now, it looks like one of those low-budget propaganda videos we've seen with those on the wrong side of past civil rights debates, and it'll look even more like that in ten years.

But at the same time, this is the anti-LGBT voter. This guy shares the exact same agenda as all of the anti-LGBT special interest groups and politicians working in D.C. If all LGBT rights came down to a vote, his voting sheet would look exactly like Tony Perkins' or Rep. Michelle Bachmann's. His idea about where we are going in the afterlife would likely look similar as well.

In a way you have to feel bad for the more extreme end of our opposition movement. They are putting their blood, sweat, and tears into their fight. In some ways I respect these more outspoken opponents much more than the talking point machines who hide their true agendas behind the wording that their polling tells them is okay. At least the aggro crowd is coming out and saying what they really mean. They are actually informing the public about what the anti-LGBT agenda looks like rather than obfuscating behind words like "values voter."

However, these folks get no respect from their own movement. In fact, people who work at those aforementioned special interest groups have told me, point blank, during moments of candor, that these outspoken folks are persona non grata with them. That's why you never see their names when campaign time rolls around. The D.C. gatekeepers know that they have a movement problem. They know that their most ardent supporters are also their worst enemies.